Are bilingual people really smarter than others?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is generally accepted that knowledge of two languages improves brain activity. However, new research suggests otherwise. We find out if this is really so.

The hypothesis that knowledge of two languages has a positive effect on the work of the brain is well known and dearly loved by various media, especially popular scientific ones. Research has repeatedly shown that people of all ages who know two languages outperform those who know only one in terms of performance. In addition, it has been repeated more than once that learning a second language can delay the onset of dementia and make the brain work harder.

Over the past few years, there have been many attempts to replicate some of the original research in order to once again confirm this advantage. However, in practice, everything turned out quite differently: the results of the experiments showed that after several years the connection between bilingualism and cognition was not confirmed. Because of this, heated debates arose in the scientific community, and the topic itself caused a wide resonance in the press (especially Cortex magazine).

One of the first to theory about the link between bilingualism and improved brain function was Kenneth Paap, a professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco. He argued that bilingualism is not beneficial and that its positive effects on the brain still need to be proven.

First of all, Paap criticized the research of his Canadian colleagues, who focused on the positive aspects of bilingualism. We will describe below what these studies were.

Ellen Bialystok, PhD and psychologist at the University of York, Toronto, worked with her colleagues to disprove the idea that bilingualism can be harmful to the intellectual development of children. More recent research went even further: it was found that children who know two languages perform better on tests of executive function than those who know only one.

The executive function consists of three components: suppression, working memory (determines the person's ability to keep in mind the information necessary to solve current affairs) and switching between tasks. A common explanation for the benefits of bilingualism is that consistent language practice trains the brain.

In 2004, Bialistok and her colleagues compared the cognitive abilities of elderly bilinguals and monolinguals. Special attention was paid to the difference in memorization and perception of information. Not only was this study first highlighting the benefits of bilingualism for older adults, but the results also showed that bilingualism can delay cognitive decline. Subsequent experiments further confirmed that bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia (dementia) by about four to five years.

Many studies related to bilingualism ask participants to take the Simon test. Pictures are shown on the screen, most often these are arrows that appear either to the right or to the left. When the subject sees an arrow pointing to the right, he must press the right key, when the arrow points to the left, then the left. In this case, only the direction of the arrow itself is important, and not from which side of the screen it appears. This experiment allows you to determine the speed of the reaction.

Bilingual people are more likely to use certain parts of the brain, therefore, they train them more, not allowing two languages to merge into one. All of these are beneficial to cognitive abilities. Dr. Bialistok's research has inspired many followers to recycle a huge amount of data and carry out major research projects devoted to studying the mechanisms of functioning and the reasons for the benefits of bilingualism.

But Paap and his colleagues found several flaws in the studies described above. Their main disadvantage was that the experiments were carried out in laboratory conditions. At the same time, socio-economic, national and cultural differences between the subjects were not taken into account, and this cast some shadow on the purity of the experiment.

Causal relationships became another stumbling block. Does bilingualism contribute to the development of cognitive ability, or, conversely, cognitive ability encourages a person to learn multiple languages? The answer to this question was never found.

Paap did not stop there and, together with his colleagues, analyzed the results of all tests that were aimed at comparing the executive functions of bilinguals and monolinguals, starting in 2011. It turned out that in 83% of cases, there were no differences between the two groups.

Such a statement was rather difficult to refute, but Bialistok made the following argument: the overwhelming number of negative results of the experiment is due to the fact that the subjects in most cases were young people. For them, the benefits of bilingualism are not yet so obvious: their productivity is still at its peak regardless of language skills. According to Bialistok, the positive effects of bilingualism are most pronounced in children and the elderly.

However, there were also inconsistencies with regard to the benefits of bilingualism for the elderly. Some studies claim that bilinguals develop Alzheimer's disease four to five years later, but other experiments do not confirm this.

Psychologist at the University of Edinburgh Angela de Bruin (Angela de Bruin) checked whether it depends on when the onset of the disease was recorded. Two groups of subjects were selected: those who had just begun to show signs of dementia, and those in whom the disease had progressed for several years. There were no significant differences, Angela said.

Evy Woumans from the University of Ghent, Belgium, has also done interesting research on bilingualism. She worked out the connection between bilingualism and how often a person switches between two languages. For this, professional translators and ordinary people who know two languages and do not often switch between them were selected as subjects. As a result, it was found that the ability to readily switch to another language without professional necessity leads to better executive functioning.

In addition, Wumans advocates the reconciliation of the two militant camps: supporters and opponents of bilingualism, and also actively encourages them to cooperate and exchange experiences.

Most of the scientific papers published to date confirm the benefits of bilingualism. But, as it turned out, the results of the experiments are fairly easy to question.

Thus, it is impossible to say unequivocally and with confidence that people who know two languages are smarter than the rest. There are, of course, benefits from bilingualism: you can write your knowledge of the language in your resume, communicate with native speakers without problems, read books in the original, and much more. But the fact that it is bilingualism that positively affects the work of the brain remains to be proven.